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(No Model.) 7 3'Sheets-Sheet 1. E. Z. OOLLINGS 8; G. I, PIKE.

APPARATUS FOR PRESBRHNG WOOD.

Patented Jan. 20, 1885 o [IV/YEN Mao WITNESSES ATTORNEY (No Model.) 3'Sheets-Sheet 2. B. Z. O0LLINGS-& G. F. PIKE.

APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING WOOD.

No. 310,880. Patented Jan. 20, 1885. 4

WITNESSES.-

(N0 Model.) 3S1ieets-Sheet 3 E. Z. OOLLINGS 8210. F. PIKE.

APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING WOOD.

No. 310,880. Patented Jan. 20, 1885.

[NVENTOQj' WTTORNEY.

Unwrap dramas Farmer Urrrce.

EDWARD Z. COLLINGS, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, AND CHARLES F.-PIKE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING WOOD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,880, dated January 20, 1885.

Application filed September 24, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, EDWARD Z. GOLLINGS, of the city andcounty of Camden, in the State of New Jersey, and CHARLES F. PIKE, of

Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Preserving Vood, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is an elevation, partly sectional, of a typical form of apparatus embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the chamber or receptacle and appliances for effecting the treatment or preservation of the wood. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of same and elevation of the coal-tar tank and pipe-connection, and Figs.

4, 5, and 6 are sectional views illustrating modifications of details or appliances for the preserving chamber or receptacle.

Our invention has relation to treating Wood to preserve it from decay and the ravages of 2 5 insects, being more especially adapted for railroadsleepers or ties,whereby their lit'e,or extent of time for which they are available for use,is prolonged, and has particular reference to those modes of treatment wherein the wood is first steamed to dissolve its resinous ingredients,and then subjected to the action of vapors of coal-tar or other antiseptic material. Our invention has for its object to provide a simple and non explosive apparatus for 5 practicing our improved method of treating Wood to preserve it from decay.

Our invention accordingly consists of construct-ions and combinations, all as will hereinafter be more specifically described and 40 claimed.

In the drawings, Arepresents a steam-boiler, having a pipe, a,with valve a and branches 1), b, and 12 respectively, provided with cocks c, c, and c". The branch b leads into a- 5 chamber or receptacle D,which is made steam or air tight, having a closed or sealed door, (I, a track-support, d, for trucks (1 containing sleepers d or other wood designed to be treated. Within said chamber, and preferably below the track 01, is placed a coil of pipe or radiator, E, the coils of which may be longitudinally arranged, as shown in Fig. 2, or placed transversely to the length of chamber D, as indicated in Fig. 4. One end of radiator E connects with branch I), and has at its oppo- 5 5 site end a cock, 0.

Instead of using a coil of pipe for radiator E, it may be formed as shown in Fig. 5..

The bottom of chamber D is provided with a series of pockets, F F, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, or one large pocket may be substituted for the several pockets, as illustrated in Fig. 4. Said pockets have a valved pipe-connection, f, with a reservoir, G, which contains the supply of coal-tar for said pockets. In 0 the latter are located coiled pipes or radiators H,connected by pipes h, and into which leads the branch b", as illustrated.

At the of the chamber D is an opening,

a, from which proceeds a pipe, I, leading into and down to near the bottom of tank K, Fig.

1, so as to have its outlet sealed by the water flowing into said tank from the pipe is.

k is an overflow or outlet pipe for tank K. Such construction of the latter providesa trap or hydraulic safety-valve for chamber D.

The operation is as follows: The wood or sleepers (1" being passed into chamber D, it is sealed, or its door cl made air-tight. Steam is then admitted to said chamber by openingthe 8O cocks a and c. Said steam acts directly upon the wood to melt or dissolve its resinous ingredients and saturate itwith moisture. Any excess of pressure in chamber D is relieved by the escape of steam through the trap in tank 5 K. \Vhen the resinous ingredients are thoroughly softened or dissolved, the cock 0 is closed and the cock 0 opened, shutting off the steam to chamber D and admitting it to the radiator E. The heat therefrom gradually 9 vaporizes said dissolved resinous ingredients, and evap orat-es the moisture or condensed steam in chamber D and in the wood until it is thoronghly dried or seasoned, its pores being Well opened and their walls free from moisture or dissolved resinous matter. The vaporized resinous matters of the wood and the evaporated moisture pass from chamber D through pipe I to tank K, wherein they are condensed and collected, and may from time to time be drawn off or be allowed to overflow from pipelc.

The advantages of the use of the radiated heat from coil E are that the employment of superheated steam or hot gases from furnaces heretofore used, and the consequent danger of igniting the wood while it is being seasoned, are avoided, and that the process of drying or seasoning the wood is more slowly effected, consequently its quality is not deteriorated,

. and its pores are well opened and their walls thoroughly dried, or brought to the best condition possible to receive or be acted upon by the vapors of the antiseptic material. When the drying process is completed,the cock 0 is closed, the pockets F are supplied with coaltar by opening the cooks in pipes f, and the cock 0" is opened to admit steam to the radiators H. The heat from the latter gradually vaporizes the surrounding coal-tar in pockets; F, which ascends and enters the pores of the wood d The walls of the pores being thor-i onghly dry, they rapidly and to an increased extent absorb the fumes of eoal-tar until the sleepers are fully impregnated or saturated with the preservative material, whereuponl they are removed from chamber D, replaced} by a freshcharge, and the operation continued. If desired, the pockets F may be provided with cocks f for drawing off the surplus tar} or waste from chamber D, and the water of] condensation in radiators E and H is blownf off through cocks eh, respectively. The surplus vapors of coaltar escaping from chamberf D through pipe I pass into and are condensed in tank K, and as said preservative material is vaporized by radiated heat theboiler A and its furnace may be situated at any desirai ble distance away from chamber D, to avoid danger of explosion by the commingling or contact of such vapors with the boiler-fires or other direct sources of heat.

If desired, the pockets F and their radia-i tors H'may be constructed as shown in Fig. 6, and instead of having separate cocks for the branches b, I), and b they may be so arrangedi that a three way cock may be substituted.

We make no claim in this application to the method of preserving wood, as that forms the subject-matter of a separate application; No. 114,206, filed December 11, 1883.

What we claim is 1. In combination with a treating-chamber having a radiator, a pocket or pockets below and opening directly into said treating-chamber, and provided with a radiator and steampipe connections for said radiators, substantially as described.

2. In combination with atreating-chamber having a radiator, a pocket or pockets for .branches 1), b, and b, substantially as described.

4, The combination of chamber D, having a pocket or pockets, F, with connections to tank G, and radiators H, having pipe-connections for heat, substantially as shown and described.

- 5. An apparatus for treating wood to preserve it from decay, comprising a receivingchamber with steam-connections, a steam-radiator located therein, a pocket or pockets below said radiator for holding a preservative material, and a steam-radiator for vaporizing the latter, substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus for preserving wood, the combination of a heating device having valved pipes b, b, and b, chamber D, having steam-radiators E, a pocket or pockets, F, ra-

diators H, and tank K, constructed and ar- 4 I the receiving-chamber, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures i in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD Z. COLLINGS. CHAS. F. PIKE.

\Vitnesses:

S. J. VAN STnvoREN, CHAS. F. VAN HORN. 

